My parents were not exaggerating when they told me that this would be an important event. According to them, this was the ideal opportunity to start building my network. I couldn't disagree; every important trader I knew was present at this event. Dévos Gaffel had invited everyone to his estate to showcase his minerals. He had found them among the peaks of Midgorn, and according to him, they were the most beautiful minerals ever discovered.

Dévos lives in Midgorn, which is a very different realm from Longrië. In Longrië, it is mainly warm and dry, with beautiful deciduous forests, and because it is partly a peninsula, my family has thriving trade with other continents. Midgorn is different; it is located in the middle of Midbad. As a result, there are no coastal areas, and the forests are mainly coniferous. It is also cool and cold here because Midgorn is much higher than Longrië. It is the highest point of Midbad, and Dévos has decided to build his estate on one of the largest mountains. Despite this challenge, various important trading families have made the journey uphill. Everyone knew well enough that this was an event one simply had to attend.

As soon as I entered, my parents excused themselves and left me with a glass of sparkling wine. They immediately started a conversation with Lord Douikana. I had never heard of that family name before, but my parents seemed to be talking to him for quite some time, so he must have something interesting to say. However, I was not here to stand by my parents all the time and be 'the son of.' No, I needed to make my own connections. I looked around the room and my attention fell on a man who could not be older than 25. He was also looking around the room, searching for a conversation partner. His age was right; he was young enough to have ambition, exactly the person I needed. I walked over to him and introduced myself.

"Nice to meet you, my name is François Oudenhuysen. I live in Longrië and am mainly specialized in overseeing goods by ship or by horse. I already have several contracts, and all my clients are very satisfied. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" The man looked at me with little interest. He did not seem impressed by what I had just told him. "Good evening, young sir. My name is Alain Castevés. I am sorry to say, but I have never heard of your name. That could be because I come from East Cordinië. I live in the city of Sippiko and am the first mate on the ship the Colain, my family's ship."

I had heard that name many times before. The Colain was a ship that had been active for generations, mainly on the Cordinese lake. This, however, did not prevent my parents from contacting the Castevés family. They live in a chic mansion in Sippiko and are the de facto rulers over the city and its surrounding areas because they have more money than the actual count. Despite the various letters from my parents, there had never been a response. Now Alain bluntly remarked that he had never heard of the name Oudenhuysen, making me realize that he was mocking me. I had no time for that; I needed someone who would work with me and at least see me as their equal. The Castevés family was currently out of my reach, but it was a connection I wanted to keep for the future. You never know.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Castevés. I have heard of the Colain and would like to invite you to visit my region in Longrië. This area borders the large coastal region and seems to me an ideal location where we could both benefit." As I spoke these words, I handed him my card with my address on it. Alain briefly looked at it and then looked around as if he was searching for someone he recognized. He clearly did not want to talk to me any longer. Then it seemed he made eye contact with someone. "I will certainly remember you, Mr. Oudenhuysen. I have your card and will contact you as soon as possible. If you'll excuse me now." Alain quickly walked away, and it did not take long before I lost sight of him in the crowd. At least he had my card, which was better than nothing. Meanwhile, my glass was empty, and I decided to get a new one. Maybe with a bit more alcohol in my body, I would become more relaxed and the conversations would go better. It seemed like an interesting theory to try out. I walked over to a waiter and received a new glass of sparkling wine that was on his tray. I turned around to see who my next conversation partner would be.

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Fate, however, was on my side, because to my surprise, a man walked up to me. He looked to be in his mid-forties and was appropriately dressed. There were a number of guests who were much more adapted to the current fashion than he was. The cufflinks tightly fastened around my neck had been bothering me all evening. The man who approached me had not followed this fashion but was nicely dressed in his own way. "Good evening, young sir. I believe I have not had the pleasure of making your acquaintance yet." "That is correct. My name is François Oudenhuysen. I come from Longrië."

"You came all the way from Longrië? That is quite a journey. Was the trip not too tiring, and are you enjoying the event?" "The journey was long, but thanks to our selection of staff that traveled with us, I experienced little inconvenience. The event is certainly worth undertaking that long journey. Dévos has succeeded in getting many important people into the same room. By the way, who do I have the pleasure of speaking with? You haven't introduced yourself yet, I believe."

"That is correct, my apologies. My name is Ryko Fakkara. I have lived in Midgorn all my life and am a childhood friend of Dévos. However, I did not grow up in an upper-class family, so I sometimes miss the usual courtesies. Have you had the privilege of viewing the minerals yet?" "No, not yet, Mr. Fakkara. I have not found the time. I keep getting caught up in conversations." "You don't need to call me Mr. Fakkara all the time; I feel much more comfortable if you just call me Ryko. Shall we go and look at the minerals now? They are definitely worth seeing up close." "That sounds like an excellent plan, Ryko. I am very curious about the minerals."

As Ryko turned and headed toward the minerals, something began to dawn on me. I already knew Ryko; he is, along with me and Duriël, one of the leaders of the organization Pivanu. I am also not sixteen years old anymore. However, Ryko doesn't seem to have aged a day. I also haven't seen my parents in a very long time. The more Oudenhuysen thought about it, the more he realized that he could no longer remember his parents' names. Worse still, he couldn't even remember this entire gathering. He was also not here at this moment; he was in his bed. He was dreaming. In a few hours, he would wake up and interrogate the Viking. He would finally know where the gemstone was, and he would make Pivanu powerful. But how could it be that he couldn't remember this meeting with Ryko? Was this a dream or a memory that actually happened? The more Oudenhuysen thought about it, the more he realized that he couldn't remember how he met Ryko. Who is this man, really?

With this frightening thought, Oudenhuysen opened his eyes. He wanted to contact Knijster and give him the order to remove Ryko from the main base. He wanted answers, and he would not find them in his dreams. However, when he opened his eyes, he made eye contact with the Viking who was supposed to be locked up in his cell. Before he could react, he felt the barbarian's battle-axe in his chest. But that was not the only weapon; the giant, the templar, the adonis, and the knight were also standing around his bed. They all hacked at him with their weapons. The pain was so great that he almost instantly felt nothing. He noticed that his sense of reality began to fade. 'I am dying,' Oudenhuysen thought, 'and just now I realize that I have forgotten to live a part of my life.' After this, his thoughts faded, and the giant's devil's club landed directly on his face. Then there was only black.